Grab Food Delivery, it's great but there are issues

[Jingthing]

Some other good reasons to use delivery.

 

When its raining.

When there's too much traffic on the roads such as holidays and weekends.

 

Currently for the next few days there is a 20 percent off food promotion code--

100FOOD

 

I have made an excellent "discovery" of a place with very good food that I can't get close to me and that I would otherwise never go to as they close at 3 P.M.

 

It is NORTHERN  Thai food!

 

They are located off 3rd road between the flyover and Pattaya Tai in South Pattaya.

 

I can't give the place's name because it's in Thai but there menu has English. It's very quirky. Some days closed for some reasons. Some days with only two menu items on offer and also rice. Some days many more options. The prices are great. They sound to be the same low price as a street restaurant.

 

This is the kind of HOLY GRAIL restaurant that I was hoping for when I started looking at Grab.

 

I tried one order and the food was excellent. Also large portions. Also spicy which I like but you might not. 

 

Sometimes the listing on Grab will say NORTHERN food but not always. So all I can tell you is to look for that or look at the dishes if you know northern Thai food. I also noticed it may be featured on popular LUNCHTIME restaurants.

 

Thank you Grab!

[ricklev]

It's mostly in Thai in Bangkok.  I really wonder why they don't just hire someone to translate the menus into English.  Maybe they don't really want to work in English although in Chiang Mai almost all menus have been translated.  

 

The no rice thing is also common in Bangkok and is inexplicable.  Several of the Issan restaurants I order from don't offer sticky rice, plain rice or kanom Jeen.  How they could forget to include that is really strange!

 

I've had drivers tell me there is a 20 baht parking fee for delivery to my condo door.  Most do bring it to the door when I text them the room number and floor in Thai. 

 

Tried to get Grab to confirm if delivery includes going to the door when they first started here and they said I should negotiate with the driver.  Then for awhile they were asking for the room number for delivery when the driver was close by.  Then they stopped doing that.  Hard to say if they are supposed to come to the door.

 

Bangkok has a lot of promotions but 80% are in Thai.   

Edited July 27, 2019 by ricklev

[Jingthing]

The other day I noticed a driver went to the wrong building and I messaged him to tell him that and repeated the correct building. When he arrived (at my door) he practically BEGGED me to give him 5 stars. I was going to anyway. I am finding my little semi-obnoxious method of nudging them with messages about my room number is working like a charm. Like when I see they have arrived before they can sent their own message, I send the room number. It really does force them to be unpleasant and tell me they won't do it (when I know they can). About tipping I am now wondering if they share info on what tips people give if anything.

 

In Pattaya I am finding it easy to understand the promotion codes but the specific promotion set packages from specific restaurants are in Thai, sometimes with a vague picture. 

 

Slowly but surely restaurants are being added. That Northern lunch place that I am so psyched about I think is a more recent addition. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

If a Grab Food listing says Preferred Restaurant, it means they start cooking the order as soon as you place it. So obviously that's preferable for customers as well. 

[Jingthing]

I found another Gem!

OK, I've only tried it once but the food was great, the portions huge, and the price was right. 

Thai food.

Name of restaurant on the app --

NONG HUAPLA MORFA

But what really impressed was the variety of Thai food on offer. Way more than the usual standards.

For examples  they have soup with snapper, hor mok talay (curried seafood mousse), soft shell crab in many styles, frog in many styles (not for me but still impressive), and on and on and on.

It's on Sukhumwit accessible for quicker deliveries to South Pattaya, Jomtien, and the dark side south. 

This is a restaurant that I really would NEVER go to without Grab Food but I would if it was convenient. 

Now it's convenient.

I am loving Grab Food!

 

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

There is a promotion code on right now for today (Sunday only). 100 baht off on any order of at least 300. Definitely worth  grabbing. But hurry. The promotion has an upper limit so once that amount is given away by Grab, the code won't work even today. 

[Jingthing]

Another weird glitch with Grab.

They are listing PERMANENTLY CLOSED restaurants and they don't seem to ever get around to deleting them.

Meaning you can order food from Cherry's and Punch and Judy but you might as well expect Liberace to play the piano again. 

Well I know about those closings, but more obscure restaurants, you order and then later the driver that took the order says they are closed. But you don't know whether they are closed just now or permanently!

Edited August 18, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 4:09 PM, Jingthing said:

There is a promotion code on right now for today (Sunday only). 100 baht off on any order of at least 300. Definitely worth  grabbing. But hurry. The promotion has an upper limit so once that amount is given away by Grab, the code won't work even today. 

This code is on again now. Ends tonight (Sunday). FLASH100 for any restaurant on Grab. 

[Jingthing]

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 2:52 PM, Jingthing said:

I found another Gem!

OK, I've only tried it once but the food was great, the portions huge, and the price was right. 

Thai food.

Name of restaurant on the app --

NONG HUAPLA MORFA

But what really impressed was the variety of Thai food on offer. Way more than the usual standards.

For examples  they have soup with snapper, hor mok talay (curried seafood mousse), soft shell crab in many styles, frog in many styles (not for me but still impressive), and on and on and on.

It's on Sukhumwit accessible for quicker deliveries to South Pattaya, Jomtien, and the dark side south. 

This is a restaurant that I really would NEVER go to without Grab Food but I would if it was convenient. 

Now it's convenient.

I am loving Grab Food!

 

 

OK I've tried many dishes at this place by now and without going into specifics, I have decided I am not enthusiastic about their food. So try it if you want but don't try it based a recommendation from me. 

[ricklev]

Grab food in Bangkok can't seem to decide if they want the English speaking market or not.  Most menus are in Thai but half the grab food promotions their annoying app sends me are in English.  

 

It's strange, one Thai fluent in English at, what, 40-50 thousand baht per month max translating menus etc. and they would have access to a significant market.  I wonder what the business logic is there.  They are clearly not idiots so I must be missing something.  

[samsensam]

On 7/14/2019 at 9:03 AM, Skallywag said:

My Rant:

The day I cant get off my ass and walk or bicycle to a restaurant to feed myself is the day I have totally given up on life.

 

I mean really - too hot outside for you?  Too much rain and you don't want to get your flip flops wet? 

 

People are just getting lazy as heck in my opinion.

 

Rant over, and in all likelihood, will likely use this service sometime.  55 

At least you are providing employment to a thai guy with a motorbike

Am over 60 BTW, and also too frugal to eat/pay the cost at most brick and mortar establishments

 

haha, i know, i live in an area with restaurants selling almost every persuasion of food and all within minutes of my condo building, yet i am amazed how many people are too lazy, even in the cool season, to walk to a restaurant. everyone to their own, but really...

[Jingthing]

BTW, I've solved the issue of drivers not wanting to deliver to my actual condo door as opposed to the lobby. Probably 80 percent do without any pushing as the location info is in my address and I usually send a message as they're arriving with the unit number and floor. For those that don't want to, sometimes they call and sometimes they lie that they can't get in front door, but I know that's all B.S. So I just tell them, yes you can get in, here is the number and floor. See you! It's never not worked. My understanding (could be wrong though) is that they have actually paid for the meals at the restaurant so there is really no way they aren't going to make the delivery if at all possible.

 

Also I feel zero guilt about pushing that issue as I do always tip. 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Jingthing

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

haha, i know, i live in an area with restaurants selling almost every persuasion of food and all within minutes of my condo building, yet i am amazed how many people are too lazy, even in the cool season, to walk to a restaurant. everyone to their own, but really...

Where I live there are packs of dogs between me and most places. Plenty of people walking around in Pattaya City.

[Jingthing]

As mentioned before I generally give 5 stars for anything that is at least serviceable. Because anything less is seen as a bad rating. 

Anyway, occasionally I get a driver that pisses me off. Rather than down rate them, I just don't rate them at all.

For all I know that dings their rating, but it seems milder than explicitly dissing them. 

[Jingthing]

A driver tried a new to me gambit to avoid room delivery. He asked, can you come to the lobby AFTER I told him the floor and room number. That came off to me as a guilt trip. Like am in a wheelchair or something? So I said -- No, please deliver to the room. Then he said OK. Then he arrives and claims he needs a keycard. Total BS. So I say no problem for all drivers to get in. Ask security. Then he says to me -- CRAZY. Time to rate under 5!

[ricklev]

I had this satisfying exchange about their Bangkok menu yesterday.....

 

I would love to use Grab more if more of your menus were in English. How about at least putting all the restaurants with English menus in one section? That would help! Thanks.I

 

Warm Greetings from Grab Thailand Thank you for your suggestion and feedback. We will inform the concerned department to improve our service. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. - Jane

Warm Greetings from Grab Thailand Thank you for your suggestion and feedback. We will inform the concerned department to improve our service. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. - Jane

 

[Jingthing]

A very interesting article (with video) about the lives of food delivery drivers in China. I reckon there are similar issues for our local Thai drivers. I do like the idea of tipping them which apparently most people don't. Imagine with a high volume of deliveries small tips like 20 to 30 baht could really add up to giving them a decent wage.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/amp-stories/food-delivery-dangers-china/

 

 

[metempsychotic]

if you cant afford to tip the delivery guy 20-30 baht at your door, you cant afford to order in.

[metempsychotic]

as someone who has been using food delivery services in  thailand, singapore, and philipines for the last 15 or so years, i find this whole thread rather naive.

 

its not rocket science.

 

i personally have cut back radically as services like food panda seem to be getting worse, and each delivery is an environmental disaster of plastic packing and unneeded cultery and sauces etc.

 

also the inability to understand fried foods should not be packed in airtight containers etc has ruined many a meal. each restaurant should review its menu to determine what actually travels well, most delivered meals are a massive disappointment.

 

food delivery is an emergency measure for me now, only when i cant get out to shop or cook would i use one - but unfortunately when you need them most is when you place an order only to discover that it is cancelled without notification an hour later after other options have closed.

[jacko45k]

24 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I do like the idea of tipping them which apparently most people don't. Imagine with a high volume of deliveries small tips like 20 to 30 baht could really add up to giving them a decent wage.

 

Haven't they just been given a cut in wages by Grab? Likely they presume 'tips' from customers like the USA tax-man!

[Jingthing]

54 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

if you cant afford to tip the delivery guy 20-30 baht at your door, you cant afford to order in.

It's not a matter of affording. Of course I agree they deserve tips. But I now have the strong impression that most of their customers who are after all Thai people DO NOT TIP! 

[Jingthing]

33 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Haven't they just been given a cut in wages by Grab? Likely they presume 'tips' from customers like the USA tax-man!

I don't think they presume anything. I think they're just trying to squeeze the labor as much as they can. 

[Jingthing]

44 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

as someone who has been using food delivery services in  thailand, singapore, and philipines for the last 15 or so years, i find this whole thread rather naive.

 

its not rocket science.

 

i personally have cut back radically as services like food panda seem to be getting worse, and each delivery is an environmental disaster of plastic packing and unneeded cultery and sauces etc.

 

also the inability to understand fried foods should not be packed in airtight containers etc has ruined many a meal. each restaurant should review its menu to determine what actually travels well, most delivered meals are a massive disappointment.

 

food delivery is an emergency measure for me now, only when i cant get out to shop or cook would i use one - but unfortunately when you need them most is when you place an order only to discover that it is cancelled without notification an hour later after other options have closed.

Yes fried foods are an issue. Solution -- don't order them. I am finding that I am mostly now ordering from fairly close places. Then you really do get quite fresh food. Weirdly the worst experiences I've had as far as getting cold food has been with PIZZAS ordering from nearby places. I guess it's because they aren't pizza specialists and they don't shield the boxes. 

 

Yes I do agree from an ecological POV this new food delivery culture is a disaster. Good that you pointed that out. I can at least feel more guilty now as if that will help.